Handgun Recommendation

[Rootin55]

My son is in the market for a handgun. I have a Browning 9, a SW in 41 Mag and a Ruger 22. I've looked at the Glock's, H&K's, Sigs and others. They seem to be pushing the 40 cal auto. I was considering the 9, 40 or 45, more in the auto catagory. Will the 40 go by the wayside as the 41 mag has?

Hear of excessive trigger pull on the Glock's.

TIA

[yjleesvrr]

Glock dominates the LE market due to their simplicity and reliability. Most LE tests indicate that Glock is the most reliable. I own a Model 22 and 23, which are .40 S&W caliber models. I like them a lot. These two models likewise dominate LE purchases, and given their popularity is unlike to go away anytime soon. The .40 S&W strikes a nice compromise between the carrying capacity one sees with the 9mm and the greater stopping power of the .45. The only competitive cartridge to come out since the .40 S&W made its debut is the .357 Sig, which is really a .40 S&W case necked down to a 9mm bullet diameter. Some prefer this round because it packs the energy of a .40 with the smaller diameter of the 9mm, which allows for greater penetration through clothing, sheet metal, etc. I've never fired this round, but I hear it kicks a little more than the .40.

In any case, I don't think you can go wrong with either a 9mm, .40 S&W, .357 Sig, or a .45 with any of the major manufacturers.

My personal preference for each of the calibers is as follows:

.40 S&W - Glock, Sig-Sauer

.357 Sig - Glock, Sig-Sauer

9mm - Glock, Sig-Sauer, Browning Hi-Power, Beretta

.45 - Kimber, Springfield Armory, Wilson (if you can afford it), Les Baer

[Pat]

I'm a big fan of Glock...... (but I love S&W revolvers, and my 1911) I attended Gunsite with the compact Glock 9mm. This was a few years ago when traditionalists thought very little of "Tupperware" guns. I laughed at the mocking of my short stature and "plastic" gun the first two days. At the end of the second day, we were divided up into groups and could watch the others shoot while waiting our turns. They made fun of me again, "Hell, can't even the paper with that piece of sh it!"
- or so they thought -
That little Glock 19 put 'em all in the Black bulls-eye, and from 15 yards.... they couldn't see the ragged holes clustered together dead center.
- didn't hear a peep from 'em the rest of the week -
In fact, I shot the most accurate & fastest run Gunsite had seen up to that point of: three B-27's, turn around & draw, put two shots to the body / one shot to the head, reload, repeat. (forget the name of this run, it's no longer considered PC to refer to it as such.)
Edit: OH YEAH, it's called an "El Presidente"!

Mind you, my Glock had an even STIFFER trigger pull than factory. I wanted it to resemble my revolvers so I put a "New York Trigger" spring in it.

So....... my question to your son would be:
Is this for concealed carry, Arizona carry, sport/competition & what kind, ego, or simply for fun?

Stay with the major brand names, pick the gun up and look down the sites to determine if they are aligned without having to shift it in your hand, does it feel good in the hand, can you reach all the safety's & levers, is it 'talking to ya'???

[Rootin55]

Thanks for the replies so far, keep em coming. He has gone to the range on occassion, he doesn't like to shoot my Smith 41 mag. He does live off I-10 inside the 610 loop so protection is certainly one of the reasons. Wheather or not he gets into competition shooting, who's to say. He tried my son in laws Glock in 40 SW and didn't do too well.....although this was his 1st time trying it. This is where I made the comment on the excessive travel on the trigger. While I know the Glock is a quality arm, I keep looking at the H&K. I would guess the recoil is a fairly progressive step up from the 9 to the 40 to the 45.

[wncbmw]

I have had 10 Glocks over the years; don't have any now. They are fine guns if they fit you but I finally decided life was too short to shoot guns that didn't feel good in your hands. They will give you accuracy and reliability though if you like them and the Model 19 in 9mm is a great all around gun.

I am a SIG and H&K owner now. The SIG P series in any caliber is very popular with many law enforcement agencies. The SIG 228 in 9MM is considered one of the finest pistols in the world. They fit me well, even the double stacks, and are the equal of Glocks for reliability. My H&K 45C, is a .45 caliber laser beam! Extremely accurate, reliable, fits me great and makes big holes in the paper!

I have a .40 (SIG 239) and believe it is here to stay but may get rid of the only one I have and focus only on 9s and 45s. In most of the SIGs, a conversion from .40 to .357 SIG only requires a barrel change. If he is new to shooting, a 9mm would be best. Ammo at Wally World is less than $11/100. Can't hardly reload for that! With proper ammo, a 9mm is more than adequate as a defense gun.

I would not reccommend a single action, (Colt 1911 type or Browning Hi-Power) to a novice shooter. Need some experience or training to handle those properly. That said, I have a BHP on lay-away at the moment. Absolutely the finest fitting handgun for me in the world and always wanted to own one of these classics!

[JToole]

If the gun is intended for protection, you're looking in the wrong place. Start with the shooter first. Take a concealed carry course with a recommended instructor. Splend a lot of time on the range with a number of different waepons. In short - DON"T BE A NOVICE SHOOTER!

You can start with the gun choice for any other shooting activity, but not for carrying. It takes a lot more practice and a lot more mindset adjustment to not get yourself in worse trouble if the need arises.

Rootin55, tell your son to start by knowing shooting and to decide on his own before carrying!

Ruger and Taurus are great guns for the price. They are also good for around-the-house defense. Move up to the higher quality (H&K, Sig, Glock, S&W) for carrying or real competition.

[DJ Downunder]

What's a handgun...................................................................kidding

DJ

[FGanger]

You have gotten GREAT advice. I have a Glock 40 and a 357 Sig barrel if I want a change. It drops into my fanny pack (special hidden pocket) and carries a lot of fire power. I also have a number of large capacity magazines. I don't think I would have bought the Glock on my own but it was required as my sidearm. At the time I was living in Alaska and would have wanted to carry something REALLY POWERFUL. Alas it was the Glock. It has never jammed or done anything untoward; I've grown to love it. I guess if I needed to carry one sidearm (and not being concerned about bears) it would be the Glock.

I also use a 32 auto and a S&W 38 special for carrying. It depends on what I'm wearing. If I was concerned that I may actually need to draw/fire my sidearm, I would take the Glock.

The comment about it fitting your hand is so true. I've seen people hit whatever they could see with one brand and nothing with another. Also I'm not a fan of the 9mm. Actually I hardly see any redeeming qualities in it.

Good luck,
Frank

[Shaman]

.40 S&W - Glock, Sig-Sauer

.357 Sig - Glock, Sig-Sauer

If I am not mistaken both have models with interchangable barrels?
Nothing better than 2 guns in one with drop in barrels.

[gelbe Kulter]

My local shooting range RENTS GUNS so you can try before you buy. It's a great thing. Maybe a shooting range near you does the same. You can shoot them and learn a preference for the size, caliber, action, sights, feel, etc...

Just one word of warning - DO NOT rent a Wilson Combat .45. Everything else will seem like junk by comparison. After jonesing bad for a while, I got a grip, couldn't justify the price, and bought a Kimber Custom CDP. It is a bit too light for competition, as it is an aluminum framed "carry gun." But I don't compete, and I like it.

[FGanger]

I never thought about renting - great idea. Most ranges do exactly that.

Frank

[Pat]

Best advise at this point would be to learn how to shoot correctly and safely. It's not as simple as lining up the sights and making the gun go off.

There are soooooo many variables about how to shoot, when to shoot, and shooting for "protection". More likely than not, almost regardless of the circumstances, if discharging a firearm kept a person alive....... there's gonna be an attorney who will find something about what you did that'll git ya hung.

And if there are complaints about trigger pull, without knowing anything about how to pull a trigger correctly, chances are that person has not been correctly taught how to correctly handle/shoot a firearm.

Tell him to get a shotgun that makes the loudest noise when racking a round; that's gonna be best home protection. If a handgun is the only consideration, consider also.....
Through what materials, and how far must a stray bullet travel to kill the closest neighbor(s)? This may help decide caliber of possible gun, and availability of "safe" bullets.
Who else resides in the home, and how does one plan to secure the gun?
Can you retreat to your bedroom if an assailant enters your home, is the bed between the entrance to your room and a phone, etc......

Guns,
owning them, using them, securing them, and handling them correctly ain' no joke!

Get a four inch .357 S&W revolver with underlug and adjustable sites, and shoot inexpensive .38's in it. For home protection, select the appropriate round for the environment it may be used in. And when practicing at the range, always, always, always use the sights..... makes for muscle memory when you think you don't have time to align the sites. If the groups are small at seven yards, move the target out to 12 yards, and continue to move the target out when your groups get tighter.

[Airman1]

I think another factor in the popularity of Glocks is pricing. They're quite a bit cheaper then say, a Sig. Probably today if I was buying a single gun for carry, I'd buy the Compact H&K .45. I know everyone pushes the .40, but I've found that it's a high energy round and you can buy a .45 with a heavier bullet, greater cross section and little difference in recoil.
I've shot a million 9's but lost interest in it. Don't even own one now. As far as carry, I found a Galco high ride holster will conceal a officer sized .45 under a sweatshirt. No fancy gear is needed.

For home protection nothing beats a short barreled 12 gage pump, although I have fancied one of those short side-by-side "Coach guns" for years.

[Lance1150]

He has gone to the range on occassion, he doesn't like to shoot my Smith 41 mag.

What didn't he like, if it's the noise and kick then he should have a whole other mindset than what has been mentioned so far...

I've seen A LOT of dead and dying people with bullet holes in them... the VAST majority of the dead ones had itty bitty holes (.22 and .25). The little bullets zoom around and cause havoc, the big fat bullets tend to go in, a little, and stick someplace.

P.S. As far as stopping power goes, or the stopping power MYTH, if a person gets shot, they stop. (Not talking about soldiers and trained killers). So you don't need a big fat bullet, you just need to make sure the bullet, any bullet, HITS THE TARGET (hopefully in the kill zone).

That's my take on it, I'm a fan of any gun that FEELS like it's part of you, that you can CONTROL because you aren't put off by the kick or noise, and one you have practiced with sooooooo much that it can act like an extension of you, not a 'thing' in your hand.

That's my two cents.

[Shaman]

Tell him to get a shotgun that makes the loudest noise when racking a round; that's gonna be best home protection.

NO doubt.
A pump shotgun with the first round being put in IS unmistakable.

There are two ways to go with the shot.
Some people get all macho and put in sabot rounds or 00 Buckshot.
While it will certainly put someone down, if he has any family he might put them down as well, considering the shot will carry through any walls and possibly through the whole house.

I prefer a heavy bird shot (but not turkey magnums). It will provide enough spread to cover the whole hallway, which I WILL be waiting in. And while it carries enough energy to really mess someone soft up, it generally wont go through walls.

Hints.
Have a phone on every floor, and take the cell to your bedroom at night.
If you REEAAALLLYYY think someone is in your house, there are a number of factors to consider.

In my house, we have the bedrooms on the second floor.
Call 911 and get them in the back of a closet. Then depending if I had a chance to get my wife and daughter into the same room, I would call out letting them know I have called the police AND that I am armed.
RATCHET the shotgun and let them know if they take one step on the stairs they are done.

Not that I am paranoid, but I am a right-hand shot and I have a heavy bureau on the far wall that would allow me to get behind it, viewing the whole hall and top of stairs on the second floor while being relatively protected.

DONT stand at the top of the stairs, you will be backlight AND they only have to shoot around the corner to try and hit you. Either stand to one side behind the wall and listen, or resign yourself to one of the bedrooms in the far corner with a view of the entry.

Some suggest turning the light to the head of the stairs on and leave the room dark so the person has to either step off the head of the stairs into light, leaving you harder to see in the dark and them nice and backlit, or they have to choose to turn off the light and then you will know exactly where they are.

[wncbmw]

I typed too much the first time and still missed two points others made:

- renting various guns at ranges is a great way to figure out what fits you and what caliber you are comfortable with. Should be some ranges in Texas!

- revolvers are great! I have a lightweight .38 and a medium frame .357 (both S&Ws) and they are wonderful guns, although the lightweight .38 is a bit of a handful! The .357 with .38s is a pussycat and smooth as silk!

Although others will surely disagree, don't get too hung up on caliber wars. Anything above a .38/9mm will do the job and as Lance said, even smaller calibers are effective as a defense gun for most people.

[Pat]

"Stopping power"
I've seen pictures and listened to stories at one of Masaad Ayoob's(sp) "Lethal Force Institute", where the "ultimate manstopper, .357", and a shotgun..... were not enough; believe it, it's possible. A larger round may displace more water in the assailents body, causing a sort of hydra-shock.

"Shot placement"
Shot placement is everything. A .22 may mess an assailent up, but he's still coming at ya and may not even know he's been shot. Place the diminutive bullet in the kill zone, and it could drop him to his knees..... but good luck with that one! I carried a concealed Seacamp .32, and with the right round it can be comperable to the stopping power of a .38, with correct shot placement.

"Bringing a knife to a gunfight"
At Masaad's class, we were spaced 21' across from a fellow student. The other student was told to run at us with an imaginary knife and sweep it across our necks. It was so demonstrated that in the time it takes to realize you're being run up on, clear your clothing to reach toward your holster, pull your gun, and point it at your attacker...... your neck will have already been slit.........

And you must ask yourself, seriously ask yourself,
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can you take another man's life?
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If there was ANY delay in answering that query because of philosophical or religious convictions, your gun may already have been taken away from you and used instead ON YOUR FAMILY.......

Buy a shotgun for the home and secure it in a quick acce$$ $afe.

Buy a Ruger .22 bull barrell, and then a S&W 'L' frame with adjustable sights. Discover the same Zen found riding a motorcycle, as can be found in Breath Relax Aim Squeeze Surprise!

[JToole]

Ah, Zen!

Shooting does have the zen of motorcycling combined with the unlimited challange of golf!

For home defense by those not specifically trained in defense tactics: The classic double barrel (side by side) 12 Ga shotgun! Better than a pump for those fearfull times because some people will rack magazine empty without firing a shot. I could buy a new shotgun if I had a dollar (OK, Maybe $25) for every time I saw that done by a new deer hunter! Good and simple, too: Break, load, close, and shoot!

[BobFV1]

What does he need a handgun for? IMO, handguns can get you in to more trouble than they can get you out of. I was a federal law enforcement officer for 16 years with two different agencies and had to carry all the time, and I am very pleased to be relieved of that burden. As was posted earlier, for home defense, there is nothing like a 12 gauge shotgun.

If I was stranded on a desert island with only one handgun choice, it would be a Sig Sauer P220 in .45 ACP. .45 ACP is the ultimate handgun/submachinegun round, and the Sig has a great, smooth action. Second choice would be a Colt 1911 government model in .45 ACP with a Bar-sto barrel.

[wncbmw]

I might have to disagree on the old double barrel shotgun vs the pump. Why just this weekend on SciFi channel while battling the Snakehead creatures make oversized by human growth hormone, a pretty young thing was blasting them away with a double barrelled shotgun! She couldn't blast the monsters quick enough as they chewed away on her boyfriend, (who didn't survive because he wasn't a pretty young thing).

So based on that solid evidence, I think, a pump is the thing to have in case you need to blast snakehead monsters on steroids.

On the other hand, if you are reality based, a good old double barrelled is pretty foolproof!